1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to polyether poly(ester-amide) block copolymers, methods of making and methods of using such polymers, and compositions and products comprising such polymers. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to polyalkylene glycol-based poly(ester-amide) (PGPEA) polymers, methods of making and methods of using such polymers, and compositions and products comprising such polymers. The present invention is further directed to the use of such PGPEA polymers as gelling agents, and to compositions comprising PGPEAs wherein the composition is a gel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many commercially important compositions, the consistency of a product is critical to its commercial success. Examples include personal care, household care, industrial care, and medicated products, which generally contain one or more active ingredients within a carrier formulation. While the active ingredient(s) determine the ultimate performance utility of the product, the carrier formulation is critical to the commercial success of the product in that it largely determines the consistency of the product. The rheology of the carrier or “base” largely determines the manner in which the consumer will apply or use the product. Many commercial and would-be commercial products depend upon the availability of materials called “gelling agents” that have the ability to modify various rheological properties, in order to allow formulation of a successful product.
Products are often desired to be “gels,” in that they maintain their shape when undisturbed but flow upon being sheared. Transparent gelled carriers are especially desired by formulators who develop products wherein a colorant is an active ingredient, for example in a lipgloss or rouge, because a transparent carrier (as opposed to an opaque carrier) will minimally, if at all, interfere with the appearance of the colorant. In recent years, consumers have demonstrated an increasing preference for transparent and colorless personal care products such as deodorants and shampoos.
Certain polyamide poly(ester-amide), and polyether-polyamide resins as gellants in formulations for surface-, air-, and personal care are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,245 to Emery Industries, Inc. discloses a preparation useful as polymer fiber anti-static blend components. The disclosed materials comprise dimer acid as the sole diacid and comprise polyether segment levels of up to 75% by weight of the total polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,838 to ATO Chemie discloses block copolymer antistatic compositions comprised of polyether and polyamide blocks arranged linearly and joined together with linking ester groups. The poly(ether-ester-amides) have molecular weights below the fiber-forming range and contain a specified amount of the polyether block and a definite ratio of amide to ester linkages. They are blended with polyesters, polyamides and other fiber-forming polymers to impart antistatic properties. The '838 disclosure does not teach or suggest use of such polymers as gellants (the softening points disclosed in the examples are very high, typically 180° C., making these unsuitable for gellant applications). In addition, the disclosure does not teach or suggest dimer acid- and/or CHDA-based compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,657 to Union Camp Corporation (1998), discloses dimer acid-based polyamide compositions which dissolve in non-polar liquids such as mineral oil and, when cooled to room temperature, form firm, transparent gels. The compositions are specific in requiring that they contain an amount of ester groups and, furthermore, that these esters must be located at the ends of the polymer chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,055, to Union Camp Corporation and Bush Boake Allen (2000), discloses an ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. A wick may or may not be present in this gel, but in any event, the composition provides for the release of the fragrance, insecticide or insect-repellent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,509, discloses an ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. Depending on the composition, the candle may be formed into a free standing pillar, or may be better suited to being placed in a container. The solvent may be mineral oil. The ester-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide may also be combined with an active ingredient, such as a fragrance, colorant, insect-repellant, insecticide, bioactive ingredient or the like, to afford a delivery vehicle for the active ingredient.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,466, (2001) to Arizona Chemical Company, discloses a dimer-acid polyamide which can dissolve in non-polar liquids such as mineral oil and form transparent gets upon cooling. The compositions are specific in requiring that the polymer chains be terminated with tertiary amide groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,713 to Arizona Chemical Company (2002) discloses polyamide gelling agents (PAOPAs, for poly(alkyleneoxy)-terminated polyamides), consisting of the reaction product of dimer acid, ethylene diamine (EDA), a poly(oxyethylene/propylene)diamine, and a poly(oxyethylene/propylene)monoamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,131, discloses a block copolymer of the formula hydrocarbon-polyether-polyamide-polyether-hydrocarbon. The copolymer may be prepared by reacting together reactants that include dimer acid, diamine, and a polyether having both hydrocarbon termination and termination selected from one of amine, hydroxyl and carboxyl. The copolymer may be combined with a solvent to form a gel, where the gel may be transparent and may be incorporated into household and consumer products including antiperspirants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,077, discloses a tertiary amide-terminated dimer acid-based polyamide which may be blended with a solvent to form a gel. The solvent may be flammable, and a wick may be added to the resulting gel so as to form a candle. Depending on the composition, the candle may be formed into a free-standing pillar, or may be better suited to being placed in a container. The solvent may, for example, be mineral oil or triglyceride. A solid coating may be placed around the candle, for advantages including to enhance the mechanical stability of the gelled body, and to eliminate the tendency of a gel to have an oily feel and to accept noticeable fingerprints. The solvent which, in combination with the tertiary amine-terminated dimer acid-based polymer forms a gel, may be or include a fragrance material. The gelled composition may also include fatty acid and/or a compound containing one, two, or more ester groups. In one aspect, the article does not contain a wick, and is intended to function as a fragrance-releasing product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,522, discloses a structured, solid composition that contains at least one colorant, a liquid oil phase, and a gellant, wherein the gellant is a tertiary amide-terminated polyamide resin (ATPA) comprising a number of repeating units wherein terminal amide groups constitute from 10% to 50% of the total amide groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,160, discloses a resin composition prepared by reacting components comprising dibasic acid, diamine, polyol and monoalcohol, wherein (a) at least 50 equivalent percent of the dibasic acid comprises polymerized fatty acid; (b) at least 50 equivalent percent of the diamine comprises ethylene diamine; (c) 10-60 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by monoalcohol; and (d) no more than 50 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by polyol. The resin composition may be formulated into, for example, personal care products, fragrance releasing products and candles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,857, discloses a low molecular weight, tertiary amide terminated polyamide which may be blended with a liquid hydrocarbon to form a transparent composition having gel consistency, and this gel may be used to formulate a cosmetic. The tertiary amide terminated polyamide may be prepared by reacting “x” equivalents of dicarboxylic acid wherein at least 50% of those equivalents are from polymerized fatty acid, “y” equivalents of diamine such as ethylene diamine, and “z” equivalents of a monofunctional reactant having a secondary amine group as the only reactive functionality. The gel contains about 5-50% tertiary amide terminated polyamide, with the remainder preferably being pure hydrocarbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,349, discloses polymerized fatty acid-based polyamides which may be combined with low polarity and high polarity co-solvents to produce homogeneous water-in-oil emulsions. These emulsions are useful in applications favoring an oil base, such as skin creams and cosmetics with emulsions of low stiffness, and car polish with emulsions of greater stiffness.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,245, discloses a resin composition prepared by reacting components comprising dibasic acid, diamine, polyol and monoalcohol, wherein (a) at least 50 equivalent percent of the dibasic acid comprises polymerized fatty acid; (b) at least 50 equivalent percent of the diamine comprises ethylene diamine; (c) 10-60 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by monoalcohol; and (d) no more than 50 equivalent percent of the total of the hydroxyl and amine equivalents provided by diamine, polyol and monoalcohol are provided by polyol. The resin composition may be formulated into, for example, personal care products, fragrance releasing products and candles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,956,099 to Arizona Chemical Company (2005) discloses polyether polyamide (PEPAs) gelling agents comprising the reaction product of dimer acid, a diamine. The disclosed copolymers have linked internal polyether blocks and internal polyamide blocks and have advantageous physical properties and solvent-gelling abilities. The copolymer may be prepared from a reaction mixture that contains 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid (CHDA) and poly(alkyleneoxy) diamine (PAODA). Optionally, the reaction mixture contains no monofunctional compound reactive with either amine or carboxylic acid groups, however some of this monofunctional compound may be present. Dimer diamine and/or dimer acid may be present in the reaction mixture. A copolymer may also be prepared from a reaction mixture containing dimer acid and at least two diamine compound(s) including PAODA and short-chain aliphatic diamine having 2-6 carbons (SDA).
Despite advances in the art, there remains a need for novel polyamide resins capable of functioning as gelling agents. Although references in the art wherein the use of a poly(alkyleneoxy)diamine as a reactive component is stipulated or allowed as optional are known, none of the references disclose or suggest the use of a poly(alkyleneoxy)polyol as a reactive component. The present disclosure is directed to fulfilling these needs and provides additional advantages as described more fully herein.